Publications Details
Current research in storage and transportation of used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste
Through the Department of Energy (DOE)/Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC), numerous institutions are working to address issues associated with the extended storage and transportation of used nuclear fuel. In 2012, this group published a technical analysis which identified technical gaps that could be addressed to better support the technical basis for the extended storage and transportation of used nuclear fuel. This paper summarizes some of the current work being performed to close some of those high priority gaps. The areas discussed include: 1. developing thermal profiles of waste storage packages, 2. investigating the stresses experienced by fuel cladding and how that might affect cladding integrity, 3. understanding real environmental conditions that could lead to cask stress corrosion cracking, 4. quantifying the stress and strain fuel assemblies experience during normal truck transport and 5. performing a full-scale ten-year confirmatory demonstration of dry cask storage. Data from these R&D activities will reduce important technical gaps and allow us to better assess the risks associated with extended storage and transportation of used nuclear fuel.